Shiki

Motif

Many obi and kimono are adorned with seasonal motifs, making them suitable for only specific times of the year. However, celebratory obi like this one often feature designs representing all seasons at once, allowing them to be enjoyed year-round, even in summer, if you're brave enough to layer up despite the heat!

In this rich motif, you can recognize some of Japan’s symbolic trees, such as pine trees (with their cloud-shaped branches), cherry blossoms, and red maples. These trees are arranged alongside hills and waves, common elements in Japanese landscape art.

Now, while it is possible to see cherry blossoms blooming at the same time as maple leaves turning red (as you might have seen on my social media last autumn), this is a rare phenomenon. I doubt the motif of this obi is referencing that rather than representing the four seasons-but I might be wrong! Obi motifs are often open to interpretation, and the only way to know for sure would be to ask the artisan who created it...

The fabric, made of silk and lamé, has a highly shimmering effect. You can see the color variations in both photos, caused by light reflecting at different angles. In one, the gold lines are more prominent; in the other, the colors of the trees stand out. In other words, a bag made from this fabric would appear to shift in color as it catches the light.